Boutique Music and Arts Festival ‘Mugstock’ is back!

Laura Sturrock

Following a stupendously successful first year in 2015, the boutique music and arts festival MugStock is back this year by popular demand!

The festival, which is being held in the beautiful Mugdock Country Park near Milngavie on the bank holiday weekend (July 29 to 31), boasts headline slots from Emma Pollock, recently nominated for Scottish Album of the Year for her gorgeous solo album In Search of Harperfield.

They will be joined in a diverse, crowd-pleasing line-up by top local acts Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5, The Girobabies, and The Fast Camels, and the festival also provides a showcase for up and coming artists: make sure to catch The Herald‘s Best Unsigned Act 2015 winners Supa & Da Kryptonites, and Urvanovic, shortlisted for The Herald’s Top Scottish Albums in 2015.

Revellers can enjoy everything from indie and folk to pop, reggae, dub, soul and blues in relaxed, intimate and beautiful surroundings.

Electronica fans should make their way to The Glade, a brand new stage featuring the best beats in an idyllic setting.

It’s not all just about the music, either! Subtitled A Festival of Music and Merriment, MugStock’s five stages cover theatre, discussion events, walkabout performers popping up in the woods, spoken word and veggie food in the brand new Tchai Ovna tent, a trail of art works hidden in the woods, and a treasure hunt through the nooks and crannies of the park to help festival-goers orient themselves.

There are three licensed bars on site, selling Williams Brothers beer and real ale, Thistly Cross ciders and Glengoyne gourmet whisky, and hunger can be sated at a variety of international street food stalls.

MugStock offers one of the best value festival weekends in Scotland. It’s designed as an intimate, magical, family-friendly celebration of the natural landscape, and festival-goers can enjoy other parts of Mugdock Country Park, including the 14th Century Mugdock Castle, gothic mansion Craigend Castle, lochs, ponds, and a Victorian walled garden.

As part of MugStock’s commitment to improving and maintaining the surrounding area, the festival recently raised funds to improve the walled garden, installing a drainage system to help create a more welcoming and sustainable families area.

Full adult weekend tickets for MugStock 2016 are only £75, and only £37.50 for 13-17 year olds and over 60s. Under 12’s go free, and camping passes are included free with every ticket. Please visit www.mugstock.org/tickets for full details.